This invention relates to lighting systems and, more particularly, to optical elements that are used in lighting systems.
Lighting systems are commonly used for many lighting/illumination applications, such as general purpose illumination, backlights, signals and displays. Lighting systems generally include one or more light sources. A diffuser is generally provided to diffuse the light that is emitted from the light source, so as to homogenize the light and reduce direct visibility of the light source to a viewer. In many applications, multiple light sources, such as multiple Cold Cathode Fluorescent (CCFL) bulbs, multiple Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and/or multiple incandescent bulbs are used, and it may be desirable for the diffuser to homogenize the light from the multiple light sources.